Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA4
Target Start Date2023-08-01
Job Posting End DateJuly 30, 2023
Terms of Reference1. General Background
Mexico has a state asylum system and the government refugee commission, Comisión Mexicana para Asistencia a los Refugiados (COMAR), is responsible for both registration and the RSD of newly arrived asylum-seekers. Entry to Mexico and border control are the responsibility of a different body, Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) which has resulted in some difficulties with accessing territory and reports of summary deportations.
After indicating their intention to claim asylum, asylum-seekers are initially detained until registration. After registration, asylum-seekers are generally released and given access to services, such as education and health care. While waiting for the decision by COMAR regarding their refugee status, asylum-seekers can apply for a visa for humanitarian reasons, which also gives them the right to work. Once recognized by COMAR, refugees are granted permanent residency in Mexico. After 2 years refugees can apply for Mexican nationality if originally from a Spanish speaking country or 5 years if they come from other parts of the world. While accessing the necessary documentation is not always straightforward, UNHCR and its legal partners work to ensure access of asylum-seekers and refugees to their legal rights.
Until recently, the UNHCR Mexico operation was focused on ensuring access to territory and asylum procedures, alternatives to detention and efforts for local integration. The population of asylum-seekers and refugees was relatively small and the new arrivals were limited. However, in the last few years the number of new arrivals has increased dramatically, from 3,400 new asylum applications in 2015, to 70,000 in 2019 and 131,000 in 2021, coming mainly from North of Central America (El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala) and Venezuela. In 2022 this sharp upward trend has continued.
As the situation in Mexico has changed, UNHCR Mexico’s operational response has evolved and focuses on, among other things, increased community-based protection and outreach and a robust monitoring and evaluation component of its programmes to allow a better assessment of their effectiveness.
Progress has been achieved in building the asylum system and in improving reception arrangements, as well as in the provision of local integration opportunities, but increased numbers of asylum-seekers keep putting additional strain on the existing reception conditions.
Interpreters are essential to UNHCR in fulfilling its core mandate functions, including registration, refugee status determination, resettlement, and counselling, which, in many cases, also involves sensitive issues related to gender-based violence (GBV). Thus, interpreters perform a key role in many UNHCR offices. The role of the Intepreter is to assist in this process by providing a channel for communication with refugees, especially during interviews. It is an important role that must be accomplished with a high degree of professionalism.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The interpreter will undertake Creole-Spanish translation and will be working under the overall supervision of the Protection Officer and the Protection Team. He/She may be required to work at UNHCR premises, in Ciudad Juárez, Monterrey, Saltillo, Tapachula, Tijuana, Mexico City, or other relevant offices or perform the services remotely through phone or video conference in order to assist UNHCR staff in interpreting interviews, whenever necessary. Support may also be required to provide translation services for UNHCR partners.
These are some of the tasks in which UNHCR officials meet with persons of concern to UNHCR and might need the help of an interpreter:
• Document translations
• Registration procedures: when the personal information of refugees, internally displaced persons or returnees are recorded.
• Refugee status determination: when an interview is conducted with an asylum-seeker to determine whether she/he meets the criteria of the refugee definition.
• Protection interviews: when an interview is conducted with an asylum-seeker or refugee in order to determine whether they have a particular protection risk and require specific assistance.
• Monitoring: when UNHCR collects information relating to the protection, rights and well-being of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons through interviews.
• Participatory Assessments: when a structured dialogue is conducted with women, girls, boys and men of concern to UNHCR, in order to gather accurate information on the specific protection risks they face and underlying causes, to understand their capacities, and to hear their proposed solutions.
• Counselling sessions and/or medical interviews: when informed and professional advice on private and/or illness-related matters is made available to refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR.
• Screening survivors of violence or torture: when more information on psychological and/or physical consequences of torture is sought.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
UNHCR Staff working with the interpreter will evaluate his/her performance on regular basis; in particular, his/her job performance and adherence to professional standards. Staff members will fill out the evaluation report form, which will be used for consideration of contract extensions in the future.
Commitment to continuous learning: Following the recruitment, interpreters shall be provided with an induction training which should include, among other things, basic information on UNHCR specialized terminology (see the UNHCR Thesaurus), content of their work, clarification of their role, content of the UNHCR Code of Conduct, PSEA standards according to ST/SGB/2003/13 and the Undertaking of Confidentiality and Impartiality, security briefing, and interpretation training. For the latter the UNHCR Training module “Interpreting in a Refugee Context” should be utilized.
Definition of the Final Product (i.e., survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced, etc.):
Oral interpretation and translation of documents as required.
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education
• Social Sciences, Politics, Economics, Human Rights, Languages, or any other related field. Education in a distinct field but coupled with an interpretation certification may be accepted. A high-school education grade coupled with an interpretation certification may be accepted.
• Certification of interpretation/translator skills in an asset.
• A perfect command of the Creole and Spanish language is necessary
b. Work Experience
• 1 year of relevant experience, ideally on interpretation functions.
c. Key Competencies
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and deliver quality output in a most time-efficient manner.
• Professionalism: ability to demonstrate a high level of concertation; split-second accuracy; ability to deliver clear interpretation on a broad range of subjects; ability to work in a sensitive environment interpreting/translating refugee specific terminology.
• Strictly complies with the UNHCR Code of Conduct.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
• This position is advertised to internal and external applicants. Candidates must be legally present in México at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Only Mexicans or candidates holding a valid work permit in México will be considered eligible.
• Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern, is subject to proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, independently of contract type and duration. The selected candidate(s) will be required to provide the proof of vaccination prior to recruitment.
• Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.
• UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
• This position is offered under UNOPS Local ICA contract until 31/12/2023 with possibility of extension.
• Remuneration: A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered depending on relevant experience as per the requirements of the job advertisement. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the Office of HR Management of United Nations.
,
,
,
,
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance